


How Did You End Up Here?

by IAmStoryteller



Series: Spring 2019 (Many Returns or Spring Has Come) [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: After the battle, Gen, Gold is a motormouth, Gold's perspective, M/M, Red is selective mute and has a speech disorder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-20
Updated: 2019-03-20
Packaged: 2019-11-26 08:07:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18178070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmStoryteller/pseuds/IAmStoryteller
Summary: Gold battled Red and won, but what happened after?





	How Did You End Up Here?

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy! This was based on my self-imposed spring themes.
> 
> Gold's nearly 11; Red and Green are nearly 14 (in keeping in line with game canon as best as possible, despite the ridiculousness of 10-14 years old doing what they do)

The dust cleared on the battlefield on top of Mt. Silver when Gold saw that Red’s Pikachu fell over in exhaustion. Gold’s Typhlosion was still standing, albeit paralyzed. Gold won. Gold beat Red. Gold beat the Champion who he looked up to when he was seven and first watched the League Championship Battle between Red and his rival Green. It was a tit-for-tat battle—his first Pokemon going down, then Red’s, and then Gold’s and so forth. Gold still cannot believe he won.

Gold felt stunned and he just stood there as Red disappeared after picking up his Pikachu.

With the adrenaline of the battle waning, Gold realized that he was freezing cold. He should have dressed more appropriate for snow mountain climbing clearly. A grunt from his first Pokemon had Gold recalling Typhlosion to his Pokeball. He needed to heal all of his Pokemon, but before he could think of his next plan, Red reappeared.

Red appeared carrying a blanket. Red approached Gold and even though Red was only 13, he still felt like he was larger than life to Gold. The legendary trainer threw the blanket over Gold’s shoulders and practically swaddled him. Gold was then being led by Red somewhere. Still in shock, but also very curious about the quiet but powerful trainer, Gold followed.

To Gold’s infinite surprise, there was a secret entrance at the back of the cave and inside Red had set himself up close to a little apartment. Well, it was big enough to have his six main Pokemon lounging about and there was a surprising ice spring/hot spring for some fresh water. Red had a makeshift nest-bed, a little section for a nice fire, and his still-packed backpack.

Gold was led to the fire and forced to sit down near it. Then Red turned away and busied himself with pulling out some cans from his bag. (He wondered how Red got any canned food if he never left the moment. But then, he remembered that a small Pokemon Center was at the very base of Mt. Silver and that Lance probably left supplies for Red to pick up regularly). The blanket and the fire was warming him up.

Red began pouring cans of stew into the pot over the fire to heat up. It looked like Gold was going to have dinner with his childhood hero. 

“Um, Mr. Red, are your Pokemon alright?”

Red looked at Gold, well felt more like through him. Then, slowly Red nodded and gestured to Gold’s belt where his team’s Pokeballs were hanging. 

“OH! Yeah, do you think there’s enough room for me to let them out so I can check them,” asked Gold.

Red nodded and went back to the food.

Gold let out his team and now that he was less freezing, Gold began pulling out various healing items to get to work on his Pokemon. When Red joined him moments later as the stew was heating over the fire, Gold told himself to stop being so star-struck.

“Thanks for helping,” said Gold. “Oh! Thanks for the great battle too. I appreciate you giving me the chance of facing you in a battle. And I think I should thank you for feeding me.”

Red titled his head and looked at Gold, while Red massaged Gold’s Houndoom’s back. Red did not say anything, he just nodded again.

Gold, then, realized that Red’s stoic and silent persona must not have been an act set to intimidate other trainers. He remembered Green, the Gym Leader of Viridian Gym and Red’s old rival, mentioning something about Red only understanding Pokemon and not people. Gold thought it was a mean-spirited joke about how Red was amazing with any Pokemon.

“You can’t talk, Mr. Red?”

Red abruptly looked at Gold. Red moved his hand with a motion that universally meant “maybe or “a little bit.”

“Talk…hard,” rasped Red, scowling presumably not at Gold but annoyed with himself. Red made some motions that was probably KSL, which Gold was not privy to understanding. Grunting, Red stormed over to his bag and pulled out a pen and paper. Quickly, he scribbled on it. He walked back over to Gold and shoved the notepad in Gold’s hands.

_“Can talk, but it’s hard. Words don’t come out right way. Writing a lot better than talking. I know KSL, but not a lot know it. You’re a good battler. You love your Pokemon very much.”_

While Red’s handwriting was awful and the sentences weren’t too complete, Gold got the idea of what Red was trying to communicate to him.

“Oh, okay. That makes sense,” replied Gold. “Ugh, just to let you know I’m kind of a babbler. I’ve been told by a lot of people that I can get somewhat annoying with talking all the time.”

Red shrugged, which either meant he didn’t care or he didn’t mind.

They went back to caring for any of the Pokemon’s injuries and also fed them. Gold had his Pokemon on appropriate diets for each. He may not be super intelligent, but he knew how to make berry preserves (thanks to his mom) and healthy Pokemon food. Red even tasted Gold’s latest jar of preserves (Gold used it as part of the “dessert” since a certain Typhlosion had a sweet tooth).

Once the Pokemon were cared for, Red and Gold sat down for their own dinner but not before Red forced a sweater and a blanket on Gold. Gold really should have worn layers for this trip up Mt. Silver. He would know for next time.

“They all seem to be getting along well,” said Gold, gesturing to his Houndoom and Red’s Charizard who went toe-for-toe just twenty minutes ago in a battle.

Red half-smiled and wrote something on the pad. _“Pokemon raised by humans are trained to fight but most don’t like it.”_

“Yeah, I noticed that when I was capturing Pokemon for the Pokedex,” said Gold. “Like I have a bunch of Pokemon that don’t like to fight and just hang out at Professor Elm’s lab fields or Professor Oak’s lab fields. I even have a few that live with my mom and enjoyed doing things like chores and baking. Pretty much these six are the ones that like to battle the most.”

Red nodded in agreement.

“Oh, I guess that’s the same for you, huh? Yeah, I mean if they don’t want to battle, you shouldn’t force them,” said Gold, shaking his head. 

Red paused to scribble something down in the notepad in between bites of stew. 

_“Tell me about yourself.”_

Gold was surprised yet again (really, because Red was not like Gold expected) at Red’s interest in him. The surprise might be on his face because Red wrote something else down.

_“I don’t lose. First one. So how did you become good?”_

Gold beamed. “Oh so! I grew up in New Bark Town in Johto with my mom and sisters. I used to study at Professor Elm’s lab along with my big sister Crystal and little sister Kotone. Crystal was two years older than me, so she left on her journey before me. I haven’t seen her since she left, save for a yearly letter. Kotone is going to be starting her journey in a couple months when she turns ten. She’s really excited. She’s gonna pick a Chikorita for her first Pokemon.”

Red snorted.

“Yeah, so, more about me. I picked Cyndaquil for my starter,” began Gold. He then launched into the story about meeting Silver, who stole one of the starter Pokemon. Gold explained that Silver was misguided and he tried to help Silver throughout Gold’s journey. “We’re friends now. I mean, after we faced Team Rocket together…”

Red looked startled. “Rocket?”

Gold winced. “Oh, well, not Giovanni. Just some higher level jerks who wanted to revive Team Rocket. They took over Goldenrod Radio Tower and did some other shady stuff. What really got me mad was about the radio waves that forced Magikarp to evolve. I fought and saved a special Red Gyarados.”

Red listened, clearly enthralled. Gold launched into the story about how he helped Lance with the situation. Gold continued to talk about the battles and adventures he went on and the Pokemon he caught—including Lugia and Ho-Oh.

Red grinned and pointed at himself.

“Oh right, Professor Oak told me that you caught Moltres, Zapdos and Articuno. Those were super hard battles, but yeah, I just let them roam around and if they want to hang, they can find me pretty easy,” said Gold, nodding. “When I head back to Johto, I am going searching for Suicine, Entei and Raikou.”

“Fun,” said Red, nodding.

Gold told Red about the first League run for the Johto Championship and how he won, going battle by battle. The stew was eventually eaten and their twelve Pokemon were already falling asleep.

“Then, Professor Elm was like, “Gold, you should go and visit Professor Oak in Pallet Town!” So I went off there and Professor Oak told me that I should take a run at the Kanto gyms and Championship,” explained Gold. “I really just wanted to finish completing my Pokedex, but following in your footsteps through the Gyms was too good to pass up.”

Red wrote something down. _“Same leaders? Who’d they get to replace Giovanni?”_

Gold grinned. “Well, there were some changes. Brock, Misty, Lt. Surge, Erika, Sabrina, and Blaine are still gym leaders. Koga’s daughter Janine replaced him as the Fuchsia City Gym and she’s a little nuts. She’s got all her dad’s battling skills and then some, but she’s not a very good ninja. They were all pretty tough but nothing I couldn’t handle! Oh and well, Mr. Green is the Viridian City Gym Leader now.”

“…!” Red’s face was surprised. “Champ…?”

Gold made a face and took a minute to understand what Red was asking. “No. Mr. Green didn’t take over as Champion for you in the Kanto League. From what Miss Daisy told me when I had dinner with her and Professor Oak, Mr. Green went to the Kalos Region and the Unova Region for six months each a few weeks after you went after Mewtwo. Then he came back and Lance offered the position of Gym Leader to Mr. Green. Lance did want Mr. Green to take over as Champion, but, well, you know Mr. Green, he wasn’t interested in the Championship by default. He’s a really good Gym Leader actually, he’s got some of the strongest gym trainers, even though he’s always off traveling and he’ll only accept a challenge from someone who defeated the other seven gyms first.”

Red looked interested in hearing more about his old rival and former childhood friend and he moved his hand to motion to Green to continue.

“I met him when I was at Cinnabar Island, just before I went to battle Blaine. You probably don’t know but the volcano on Cinnabar erupted and destroyed the town, so now Blaine’s gym in a cave that formed there. Mr. Green was there doing some research for Professor Birch from Hoenn. He’s something else. At first he didn’t even want to talk to me, but then I told him I was the Johto Champion and then he got interested. He said that if I could beat Blaine and get the seventh badge he’ll battle me at Viridian.”

Red actually smiled and wrote something down. _“He’s still the same after three years, huh?”_

Gold grinned. “Maybe a bit more mature. Anyway, I battled him at the gym and won. Mr. Green told me that I reminded him of someone he once knew and I think he was talking about you.”

Red had a pained look on his face, as if remembering something painful.

Gold was reminded of a similar pained look on Green’s face when Gold had asked about Red directly. And Gold also remembered a weepy middle of the night phone call from Green about Red too. It looked like they really needed to talk to each other. Changing the subject a bit, “Well, I only beat his Gym team at first. I bugged him enough to let me have a go at his Champion team. And I lost horribly.”

Red snorted. “Barely beat me.” Red’s snarkiness was not a surprise.

“Hey! I think I did pretty well!”

Red snorted amused again.

Gold made a face. “Then I took on the Elite Four and Lance again and beat them. And then Professor Oak gave me special permission to come to Mt. Silver for special training and Pokemon catching. But losing to Green’s Championship team bothered me. So I went back and got a rematch with the Champion team. It took me 12 more times before I even beat his Champion team.”

His silent companion just nodded his head, still clearly amused.

“Then I climbed up this mountain and battled you.”

Red flipped the page on his notebook and wrote for Gold to read. _“Green must think you’re special to even bother battling you so many times.”_

Gold shrugged. He couldn’t say for certain what Green thought about Gold—although Green had become more a nagging older brother figure to Gold during their various rematches, so he definitely cared somewhat about Gold.

_“He probably got a lot stronger.”_

Even written down, Gold felt the loneliness from Red’s statement. Red missed his friend, his rival. They hadn’t seen each other in three years after spending ten years of their life together as boys and having the most epic rivalry of rivalries in the history of Pokemon battling. Clearly Red was not that lonely having kept himself in the restricted Mt. Silver for reasons, but there was no doubt in Gold’s mind that Red did miss Green.

Because he knew that Green missed Red, even if Green would never admit it out loud.

“Nighttime…should stay…train with me a few days,” rasped out Red.

“Train with you for a few days,” asked Gold. Red nodded. “Heck yeah!” Training with his childhood hero? He was so ready for it.

The next day, Gold and Red went out of the caves and into the grassy woods to fetch some more firewood and local supplies. Red had a lot of knowledge about nature and Gold hadn’t been the best student in a school setting but learning on the fly on his journey was his jam. Amongst the bushes, they also observed the local Pokemon, which Gold had done with Green before (especially if he had to hunt down the elusive teenage Gym Leader in the first place).

Gold wound up showing Red his PokeGear, which was his Dex, phone, radio and map. His dex could be edited with the PokeGear so he was able to edit with notes of his own that the Professors could use. For someone hidden in the woods for three years, Red was adept at learning technology. Gold made a note to himself to visit the President of Silph Co and get a PokeGear for Red.

Back at the cave, Red showed Gold his map. The paper map that Red used on his journey was well-worn and to Gold’s surprise, Red added notes and markings on the map.

“Woah. Some of this would have been really helpful when I was first traveling Kanto,” said Gold, impressed. “Have you ever been to Johto?”

Red nodded and pulled out a map of Johto with a ton of markings too. “Before mountain…caught Johto Pokemon.”

“You are sure something else. I thought you just went off here as soon as you went after Mewtwo. That’s what the stories say.”

Red shook his head. “Wanted…travel…” He trailed off and pulled out his notebook again and wrote, _“I like traveling. But people were too nosy, too many people wanting to battle, too much…everyone else wanting something from me.”_

Gold stared at the words.

To be fair, Gold felt the same way sometimes. He defeated the second coming of Team Rocket and became Johto Champion at age 10. But then again, he hadn’t really wanted to take the Kanto League Challenge, he more felt obligated to do so. There were a lot of expectations on him, since Red disappeared and Green hadn’t wanted the Championship because he didn’t earn it the right way. The pressure got too much.

Gold startled out of his thoughts with Red patting the top of Gold’s head. Red had kind eyes outside of battle. Gold felt comforted that someone understood.

“Don’t…do…things…don’t want.”

_You’re allowed to say no_ was Red’s unspoken advice.

Before Gold knew it a week passed by on Mt. Silver. He really enjoyed spending time learning from Red. Red’s Pokemon were a blast. And Gold thought his Pokemon were sassy; Red’s truly didn’t take any nonsense from Red. Sometimes, the communication was hard between Red attempting to speak in his broken sentences, his hand gestures and writing and Gold’s inability to shut up.

“Thanks for letting me stay,” said Gold, hefting his bag over his shoulder. “It’s clear enough that I should get down the mountain before the next major snowstorm.”

Red nodded. 

“You know, do you want our battle to be official? I mean, I won, so I can tell Lance and then no one would bother you. You can go and visit your Mom and Pallet then,” said Gold, with a smile.

Red pulled paper out of his pocket. “Mom.”

Gold took it and folded in it. “Yeah, I’ll give it to your mom.”

Red made the KSL gesture for thank you (the only one that Gold knew at this point). He pulled out his notebook. _“What do you need for proof?”_

“Uhh, a picture of us and maybe a note from you for Lance,” said Gold, thinking that should be enough.

Red thought about it. “Okay, but remember to stick up for yourself. I don’t want what were supposed to be my responsibilities to be yours.”

“No worries, Mr. Red! I’m thinking of heading home after I have a talk with Lance. I want to be there at the start of Kotone’s journey for her and I was thinking maybe I go and find Big Sis,” said Gold, grinning. He pulled his PokeGear out of his pocket and turned on the Fame Checker application that allowed photos.

Red and Gold took a selfie and Red wrote a quick note and signed it.

“Be safe,” Red uttered.

“If you don’t mind, can I come and visit you some time?”

Red smiled and nodded. They shook hands and Red even patted Gold’s head again.

Gold took his leave of his new friend and mentor Red. 

A few hours later, Gold reached the base of Mt. Silver and spotted the Pokemon Center. He needed to have his Pokemon doubled checked, even though he and Red were very good about caring for their Pokemon. Gold was shocked to find that Nurse Joy was outside and furiously arguing with a familiar figure to Gold. 

Green, despite being only 13 almost 14, was arguing intensely and held a demanding stance. “You will let me on that mountain, Joy!”

“You don’t have permission from Lance or Professor Oak.”

“Oh, both of them can shove it. I’m a former Champion, for Arceus’ sake!”

“No permit, no admittance,” said the Nurse Joy, steely. 

Gold watched as Green threw his hands up in the air, furious. Gold never seen him so mad before. “Mr. Green? Nurse Joy? What’s up?”

Green and Nurse Joy looked over at Gold. Green stormed over to Gold.

And gave Gold a big hug.

“Where have you been? I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere, Gold. You were gone without talking to anybody for a week! Gold, you can’t go off the grid like that! Gave your mother and Elm heart attacks. And Kotone kept crying. And Silver is suddenly living in my apartment because you didn’t tell him where you were going,” Green scolded, crushing Gold in the hug.

He hadn’t known that he would be missed so much. “Ah, sorry, Mr. Green. I didn’t mean to make anyone worry.” 

Green released him from the hug and gave him a once over glance. Mouth in a firm frown, he said, “Yeah, well. You’re not the first young Champion to go AWOL.”

Oh, thought Gold to himself. It was about Red. Green thought Gold was going to disappear like Red. And then Gold remembered that Green hadn’t known where Red was, since only Lance, Professor Oak, and this Nurse Joy knew (and now, Gold).

Grinning, Gold replied. “Yeah, well, speaking of. Guess who I found, battled and defeated?!”

Green’s mouth opened. “What?”

“Mr. Red’s up there,” said Gold, gesturing to the top of the mountain. “That’s where I was for the week. Anyway. I beat him.” Gold pulled out his PokeGear and showed Green the picture.

Green stared at the screen and eyes flickered towards the mountain. In a quiet tone now that he wasn’t angry anymore, he asked, “Oh, is he ok?” 

Gold thought that he needed to get Green and Red to talk sometime soon so they can be friends again. It would make them both so much happier. “He’s fine. Promise. I barely won, to be honest. He’s gonna let me come visit. Next time, do you want to come with me?”

Green looked conflicted for a moment and said, “Maybe. Now let’s get you home.”


End file.
